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Pravrajyā: The Itinerant Life
551
a) Pravacanas: Teaching on the dharma
This word so familiar to all Jainas denotes all that is expressed through speech, and thus: lecture, homily, or address, that explains or comments upon the Scriptures or the doctrine, basing itself always upon tradition. There is a very great variety of pravacanas to be found in the different sampradāyas and among different šādhvis and audiences. Generally, the Tapāgaccha śādhvis, particularly in Gujarăta, do not give instruction in public; they must confine themselves to talks in the upăśraya and to groups of śrāvikås. The Kharataragaccha, Sthānakavāsi and Terāpanthi sādhvis give instruction in the form of public lectures addressed to all: men, women, Jainas and members of other religious traditions. 70
Pravacanas must have a well-defined aim. Eight categories of subjects to be treated are distinguished, within which a great latitude is possible; these subjects are concerned with: - everything that is related to peace, to ahiṁsā; - to renunciation of sin; - victory over the passions; - inner peace; - purity of intention; - simplicity; the struggle against pride and vanity; - goodness, forbearance; - non-possession, freedom of spirit in regard to goods and wealth of every kind. 71
70 Cf. P 591 ff. on the appeal of sadhvi Vicakşaņa, a remarkable example of ecumenism. Šādhvi Sajjana (1960, p. 88) writes that: "the munis and sadhvis give to the teaching upon the doctrine the importance of an obligation". During the sojourn in their midst of a learned śådhvi well-known for her oratorical gists, the śrāvakas of the place sometimes get printed and circulated invitation-cards to the pravacanas.
71 ....saṁtis, viratim, uvasamam, ņivvāṇam, soyaviyar, ajjaviyam,
maddhaviyam, lāghaviyaṁ. ..AS I, 6, 5, 3 and Nathamala comm. pp. 261-262; Sramans, pp. 412-413.
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